Self-Reported Religious Affiliation and the Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in a Cohort of 609 Asymptomatic and Mildly Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Positive Pregnant Women

Background: Religious affiliation has traditionally served as a coping strategy during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Pregnant women faced heightened stress during the pandemic due to concerns about their health as well as that of their fetus. This study examined the prevalence of self-reported religious affiliation among SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnant women and investigated differences in psychiatric comorbidities and pregnancy outcomes based on religious affiliation. Methods: The study included all asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnant women who received care at the Mayo Health System from March 2020 through October 2021 and completed the routine religious affiliation questionnaire. Those selecting “none” were categorized as having no religious affiliation RA-. Those selecting a specific religion were categorized as RA+. Results:. Among 609 women, 49.6% were RA+ and 50.4% were RA-. RA+ women were more likely to be white, married, college-educated, and have fewer prior abortions. There were no significant differences found in rates of depression, anxiety, psychotropic medication use, drug use, or pregnancy and labor complications between RA+ and RA- groups. Conclusion: Half of the women in this cohort reported no religious affiliation. The expected mental health protective effect of religious affiliation was not observed, suggesting shifting societal trends.